Settlements and their names
Colchester Castle was built on top of a Roman temple.
4th Graders are learning about different settlements in the U.K. Did you know that you can learn about the history of a place, just by looking at its name? Names sometimes give you a clue about when the location was given its name (and probably first settled).
Many Roman place names end with -caster, -chester, -cester or -port
Examples include Brancaster, Colchester, Cirencester and Littleport.
Saxon place names may end with -wick, -ton and -ley.
Examples include Warwick, Brighton and Brisley.
Viking place names often end with -thorpe, -car, -kirk
Examples inlcude Cleethorpes, Redcar and Falkirk.
Can you find out in which era your village, town or city was named?
Many Roman place names end with -caster, -chester, -cester or -port
Examples include Brancaster, Colchester, Cirencester and Littleport.
Saxon place names may end with -wick, -ton and -ley.
Examples include Warwick, Brighton and Brisley.
Viking place names often end with -thorpe, -car, -kirk
Examples inlcude Cleethorpes, Redcar and Falkirk.
Can you find out in which era your village, town or city was named?
What do the names mean?
Roman names
-caster, -chester, cester = fort, walled town.
Saxon names
-wick, -wich = dwelling, farm
-ton = enclosure, village
-ley = clearing, glade
Viking names
-thorpe = farm, village
-car = fortified place
-kirk = church
-caster, -chester, cester = fort, walled town.
Saxon names
-wick, -wich = dwelling, farm
-ton = enclosure, village
-ley = clearing, glade
Viking names
-thorpe = farm, village
-car = fortified place
-kirk = church
Types of Settlement
There are four main types of settlement in the U.K. They are hamlets, villages, towns and cities. According to http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/ the definitions of eachare as follows:-
A hamlet is usually defined as a small, isolated group of houses without a church.
A village is usually described as a centre of population with an area less than 2.5 square kilometres (1 square mile). A village will always have a church.
A town is usually defined as a centre of business and population with an area in excess of 2.5 square kilometres (1 square mile). Some smaller places are also historically considered towns, for example, where they are market or former county towns.
A city is created by Royal Charter (not by having a cathedral). Dunblane has a cathedral but is not a city. Brighton and Hove is a city but does not have a cathedral.
A hamlet is usually defined as a small, isolated group of houses without a church.
A village is usually described as a centre of population with an area less than 2.5 square kilometres (1 square mile). A village will always have a church.
A town is usually defined as a centre of business and population with an area in excess of 2.5 square kilometres (1 square mile). Some smaller places are also historically considered towns, for example, where they are market or former county towns.
A city is created by Royal Charter (not by having a cathedral). Dunblane has a cathedral but is not a city. Brighton and Hove is a city but does not have a cathedral.